Pages

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The World's Most Delicious Dish - Two Recipes for Massaman Curry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Truth really is stranger than fiction and I, never in a millon years, could have predicted this. Massaman curry was voted the most delicious dish in the world in a survey conducted by CNN International. The results of the poll can be found at CNN GO. While many might question its ranking in the list, few would dispute that this is a delicious dish. Bob and I happen to love it. We had lunch at a Thai restaurant on Saturday and Massaman curry was one of the dishes we ordered for our meal. This is a classic Thai entrée that's served on special occasions. It comes from southern Thailand, where many follow the teachings of Islam. Massaman is thought to be a variant pronunciation of the word Muslim and the spices used to make this stew reflect Indian assimilation, as well as Thai influences. Bob was curious as to why I hadn't featured recipes for this curry with you. The answer was simple. I thought most people, browsing through the recipe, would tire before they reached the end of the ingredient list. Better than 60% of those ingredients are spices, but if you are racing against the clock, any recipe that long is going to end up in the circular file. I've been there, done that and understand. Bob, however, remembered the curry I made when I was still working. It was fast, easy and Massaman-like. Better still, it could be on the table within an hour. It's a lovely recipe and I know that those of you who like curry will enjoy this dish. I did, however, want to share a recipe for the "real" thing this evening. So, tonight's post is going to be a twofer, with a recipe for curry paste thrown in as well. Both of my versions for Massaman curry are made with chicken, potatoes and peanuts. Beef could also be used, but I prefer to use chicken when I make this curry. One of these recipes has a sauce the consistency of a stew, the other is more soupy. Both are delicious served over rice. These days, it is possible to buy Massaman curry paste in large food chains that stock Asian foods. The commercial paste is perfectly adequate to use in the second recipe. It will lack the brightness of the homemade version and the heat will be more intense but it is usable and a real time saver. I enjoy both these recipes and I think those of you who try either one of them will be really pleased. Here are the recipes.

Directions:
1) Open 1 can of coconut milk and use a fork to stir contents until smooth and well combined. In a 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, bring 1/2 cup of stirred coconut milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Add curry paste and cook 1 minute, stirring and mashing paste into the coconut milk. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes, stirring often, until chicken begins to change color. Add all of remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind liquid and salt and bring to a boil.
2) Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until potato is tender and chicken is cooked through. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice and stir well. Taste and add more, if desired. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, removing and discarding the cinnamon sticks, or leaving them in as a traditional garnish not to be eaten. Serve hot or warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Directions:
1) Stem chilies and cut them into small pieces, using kitchen scissors or a knife. There should be about 1/4 cup. Place in a small bowl and add warm water to cover. Let them soak for about 15 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
2) Meanwhile, place a small plate by the stove to hold the spices. Combine cumin and coriander in a small, dry frying pan. Place over medium heat and toast spices 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Remove from heat and tip out onto plate. Add pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, and salt, and set aside.
3) In a blender or mini food processor, combine onion, garlic, lemongrass, galanga or ginger, 2 tablespoons water, drained chilies, and spices. Process to a fairly smooth, evenly colored paste, stopping often to scrape down sides and grind everything well. Add a little more water as needed to keep the blades moving.
4) Transfer the curry paste to a jar and seal airtight. Refrigerate until needed for up to 1 month. Yield: 1 cup.

Note: This paste can be frozen for up to 6 months. Consider freezing in tablespoon-size portion if you plan to defrost just enough for one curry at a time.

I forgive you, Mary, for the lack of sleep last night. This promises to be worth the wait. I actually have most of the ingredients on hand. I think this will be a perfect snowed-in day dish to prepare. Still no snow in the forecast, however. Now I'm off to have a nap.

This looks like a good opportunity to expand my very limited taste buds. There are a lot of people in that part of the world and Thai cooking seems to be sweeping the globe, so perhaps the ranking makes sense. Which version would you suggest I try?

You are correct in that I sit down with my Indian cookbook only on weekends - even thought half of the ingredient list tend to be spices. This is indeed a delicious dish - but I never would have guessed it was a world favorite. Fun facts to chew on.

Mary, We've never done any curry dishes at home...although we do order them and like them when we're out. This recipe may make us a little more adventurous in our own kitchen! Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Mary I am tickled to be a follower of your blog! What wonderful blog love it! I will be here often so glad your keeping the coffee pot full hehe Have a Wonderful DayPeace and BlessingCheryl...Snatch JOY~!

Mary, your comment was so nice! Thank you! And now that I had a look at your blog, I feel really flattered because it's just AWESOME and a compliment from you means a lot. i see that we have many flavors that we both like... all thai or oriental in general, this is great! this masaman curry and the chicken with tamarind and coconut glaze sounds sooo yummy anytime! I miss thailand so much for its amazing food. have you been there? you'd love it!! I'll be back to get ideas from your wonderful recipes!

Site Meter

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information about your visit for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a a users prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DoubleClick cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads. This blog is not responsible for the republishing of the content found here on other Web sites or media without the owners permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice